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British Thermal Unit (BTU)

The british thermal unit is a unit of energy, used for air conditioner and furnace ratings, natural gas billing in the US. Its symbol is BTU.

BTU
-kcal

1 british thermal unit equals

Kilocalories0.252164 kcal
Kilowatt-hours0.000293071 kWh
Joules1,055.06 J

About the british thermal unit

The British Thermal Unit was standardized in the late 19th century as the heat needed to raise one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.

In everyday use the british thermal unit appears in air conditioner and furnace ratings, natural gas billing in the US. As a point of reference: a window air conditioner is typically rated 5000 to 12000 BTU per hour.

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